Home gateway expansion

ABSTRACT

As described herein, a gateway device may include one or more expansion ports to add functionality. The added functionality can be of any desired type, such as adding telephone call routing capabilities, or high-definition radio capabilities. The added functionality can include new wireless communication abilities, such as adding Bluetooth capability, and the combination may allow greater networked communication.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/723,775, filed Mar. 15, 2010, and entitled “HOME GATEWAYEXPANSION,” which is hereby incorporated by reference as an exampleembodiment.

FIELD OF ART

The features described herein generally relate to communications betweendevices on a distributed network. For example, some features relate todistributing signals through a television distribution network, and inmanaging communications over the network.

BACKGROUND

Today, modems, such as cable modems, offer Internet connectivity tosubscribers' homes. These modems are typically connected to aninformation distribution network, such as a coaxial cable network, anoptical fiber network, a hybrid fiber/coaxial cable network, or awireless network, and communicate with a network device outside the home(e.g., a termination system, such as a cable modem termination server,or CMTS). Within the home, the modem may be connected to an in-homenetwork, such as an Ethernet network, an in-home coaxial cable network(e.g., per the Multimedia Over Coax Alliance—MoCA—specification),wireless network, etc., and various devices within the home may use thatnetwork to ultimately communicate with network devices outside the home.

The modems, however, are not easily modifiable or upgradeable. Firmwareupdates may be downloaded from the external network to update thefirmware within the modem, but such an update is limited to thefirmware/software of the modem.

Hardware upgrades are done by replacing the entire modem with a newmodel, or not at all.

There remains an ever-present need to offer greater functionality andcustomization to users, with minimal inconvenience.

SUMMARY

This summary is not intended to identify critical or essential featuresof the inventions claimed herein, but instead merely summarizes certainfeatures and variations thereof.

In some embodiments herein, a home gateway device may be used tocoordinate communication within a premise, such as a home. The gatewaymay include an external interface connected to an external network(e.g., a cable modem connected to a hybrid fiber/coaxial cable network),and one or more internal interfaces connected to one or more internalnetworks within the premise (e.g., a Multimedia Over CoaxAlliance—MoCA—server connected to an in-home coaxial cable network). Thegateway may coordinate communications between devices in the home anddevices on the external network.

In some embodiments, the gateway may include expansion ports configuredto accept one or more plug-in expansion modules. The expansion modulesmay add a wide variety of new features and services. For example, themodules may add communication capabilities to the gateway, such assupport for different communication media and/or formats. With thisadded support, the gateway can then communicate with other devices inthe home, and can facilitate sharing of the capabilities of thosedevices.

One example of these capabilities can involve supporting aBluetooth-enabled cellular or mobile telephone. The gateway can use aBluetooth expansion module to communicate with the mobile phone, and awide range of call routing and processing capabilities are enabled. Forexample, non-cellular telephone devices may use the cell phone, via thegateway, to make cell phone calls. Similarly, incoming cell phone callscan be rerouted from the cell phone to another device in the home. Acell phone call may also be handed off to a non-cell phone carrier afterinitialization.

Another example of this is can be used to tune to wireless channels. Forexample, an ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) televisionmodule or HD radio module may allow the gateway to receive contentbroadcasted over ATSC or HD radio channels, and the gateway canredistribute that content locally to other devices that lack their owntuner. Similarly, the gateway can obtain content (e.g., via theInternet) that might not be native to ATSC or HD radio, and can use thewireless module to convert and transmit that content for reception byother ATSC or HD radio devices in the home.

Physically, the gateway may be configured to help minimize risk ofdamage. The expansion ports may be recessed in a bay, with a protectivecover. The modules may be stackable, such that each expansion module hasits own expansion port, allowing multiple expansion modules to share asingle expansion port on the gateway. The gateway may include a camberlock/eject mechanism to help hold the expansion module(s) in place. Themodules may also be color-coded to help simplify prioritization (e.g.,to help users ensure that modules requiring battery backup are insertedinto expansion ports that have battery backup).

Other details and features will also be described in the sections thatfollow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some features herein are illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in whichlike reference numerals refer to similar elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example network.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example home with a home gateway and variouscommunication devices.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example computing device on which various featuresdescribed herein may be implemented.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example signaling flow for an authenticationprocess.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example signaling flow for a firmware installationprocess.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example configuration using a wireless Bluetoothexpansion module.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example process of call handling.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example configuration using a radio module.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example signaling flow for a radio client.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example protocol layer stack, showing differentconceptual layers of connectivity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an example information distribution network 100 onwhich many of the various features described herein may be implemented.Network 100 may be any type of information distribution network, such assatellite, telephone, cellular, wireless network, etc. The exampleillustrated may be a hybrid fiber/coax distribution network found inmany cable television networks. Such networks 100 use a series ofinterconnected transmission lines 101, such as coaxial cables, toconnect multiple homes 102 to a central office or headend 103. Theheadend 103 may transmit downstream information signals onto the lines101, and each home 102 may have a tuner used to receive and processthose signals.

The lines 101 may be a series of interconnected coaxial cables, fiberoptic cables, or any other desired transmission medium. There may be onecable originating from the headend 103, and it may be split a number oftimes to distribute the signal to various homes 102 in the vicinity(which may be many miles) of the headend 103. The lines 101 may includecomponents not illustrated, such as splitters, filters, amplifiers, etc.to help convey the signal clearly, but in general each split introducesa bit of signal degradation. Portions of the lines 101 may also beimplemented with fiber-optic cable, with other portions implemented ascoaxial cable, resulting in a hybrid fiber/cable network of lines 101.By running fiber optic cable along those portions, signal degradation inthose portions may be significantly minimized, allowing a single headend103 to reach even farther with its network of lines 101 than before.

The headend 103 may include a server configured to handle communicationswith the homes 102 using whichever communication medium is available.For example, in a coaxial cable or hybrid fiber/coax system, the headend103 may include a modem termination system (MTS), such as a cable modemtermination system (CMTS), which may be a computing device configured tomanage communications between devices on the network of lines 101 andbackend devices such as content sources (e.g., video on demand servers,television program sources, etc.), headend computers and other networks.The CMTS may be as specified in the Data Over Cable Service InterfaceSpecification (DOCSIS) standard, published by Cable TelevisionLaboratories, Inc. (a.k.a. CableLabs), or it may be a similar ormodified device instead. The CMTS may be configured to place data on oneor more downstream frequencies to be received by modems at the varioushomes 102, and to receive upstream communications from those modems onone or more upstream frequencies, as well as to serve as an interface todevices and networks that are further upstream, such as other Internetdevices. Similar types of headend systems may be used for other types ofnetworks, such as an optical fiber termination system for optical media,telephone line DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) fortelephone lines, satellite transceiver, cellular telephone station,local area wireless (e.g., WiMax), etc.

FIG. 2 illustrates a closer view of a home 102 that may be connected tothe network 100 via an interface 201. The transmission line (coaxial,fiber, etc.) may be connected to a home gateway device 202. The gatewaydevice 202 may be a computing device configured to communicate over thenetwork 101 and with the headend 103. The gateway 202 may include, forexample, a modem configured to communicate with the termination systemat the headend 103. Additional details of an example gateway 202 areshown in FIG. 3, discussed further below.

The gateway 202 may be connected to a variety of devices within thehome, and may coordinate communications among those devices, and betweenthe devices and networks outside the home 102. For example, the gateway202 may include a modem (e.g., a DOCSIS device communicating with CMTS),and may offer Internet connectivity to one or more computers 203 withinthe home. The connectivity may also be extended to one or more wirelessrouters 204. For example, router 204 may be an IEEE 802.11 router, localcordless telephone (e.g., Digital Enhanced Cordless Telephone—DECT), orany other desired type of wireless network. Various wireless deviceswithin the home, such as a DECT phone 205 (or a DECT interface within acordless telephone) and portable laptop computer 206, may communicatewith the gateway 202 using wireless router 204.

The gateway 202 may also include one or more telephone interfaces, toallow the gateway 202 to communicate with one or more telephones 207.Telephones 207 may be a traditional analog twisted pair telephone (inwhich case the gateway 202 may include a twisted pair interface), or itmay be a digital telephone such as a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)telephone, in which case the phone 207 may simply communicate with thegateway 202 using a digital interface, such as an Ethernet interface.

The gateway 202 may communicate with the various devices within the homeusing any desired connection and protocol. For example, an in-home MoCA(Multimedia Over Coax Alliance) network may use a home's internalcoaxial cable network to distribute signals to the various devices inthe homes. Alternatively, some or all of the connections may be of avariety of formats (e.g., MoCA, Ethernet, HDMI, DVI, twisted pair,etc.), depending on the particular end device being used. Theconnections may also be implemented wirelessly, using local wi-fi,WiMax, Bluetooth, or any other desired wireless format.

The incoming line may also be connected to one or more network interfacedevices 208, which can be set-top boxes (STBs), digital video recorders(DVRs), etc. The STBs 208 may receive and decode content via the line(e.g., optical, coaxial, etc.), and may provide that content to usersfor consumption, such as for viewing video content on a television 209.Alternatively, televisions, or other viewing devices 209, may beconnected to transmission line 201 directly without a STB, and mayperform the functions of a STB. Any type of content, such as video,video on demand, audio, Internet data etc., can be accessed in thismanner. As an alternative, the STB functionality can be incorporatedwith the gateway, so that the gateway 202 receives and decodes contentfrom the line, and supplies it to the televisions for display using anydesired local home physical interface.

FIG. 2 also illustrates an expansion module 210, which may be insertedinto the gateway 202 to expand the functionality of the gateway, asdescribed herein. The module 210 itself may be relatively small, such asthe size of a USB thumb drive. The module may have a male and a femaleUSB connection on opposite ends, allowing multiple expansion modules tobe stacked on top of one another. The gateway may be enclosed in acasing (e.g., a computer chassis, or other housing), and may include aplurality of recessed USB ports to accept the expansion modules. Therecess may be sized to allow the expansion module to remain flush with(or sunken in from) the outer perimeter of the gateway's enclosure. Therecess may also be sized at a width, e.g., 40 mm, that is double thestandard width of the USB connector, to allow room for a user's fingersin removing the module, and may include a closeable cover with a camberlock to hold the cover in place.

The ports may also be color-coded, or otherwise marked, to identifyports having different capabilities. For example, some ports may havebattery backup or an alternative power supply, and those ports may beidentified with a different color from other ports, and the expansionmodules may be similarly color coded to simplify use. Battery backedmodules may be useful for certain critical functions, such as telephoneservice, home security, fire alarm, etc., that may be needed in theevent of a power outage at the house.

FIG. 3 illustrates a computing device that may be used to implement thegateway 202, although similar components (e.g., processor, memory,computer-readable media, etc.) may be used to implement any of thedevices described herein. The gateway 202 may include one or moreprocessors 301, which may execute instructions of a computer program toperform any of the features described herein. Those instructions may bestored in any type of computer-readable medium or memory, to configurethe operation of the processor 301. For example, instructions may bestored in a read-only memory (ROM) 302, random access memory (RAM) 303,removable media 304, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive, compactdisk (CD) or digital versatile disk (DVD), floppy disk drive, or anyother desired electronic storage medium. Instructions may also be storedin an attached (or internal) hard drive 305. The gateway 202 may includeone or more output devices, such as a display 306 (or an externaltelevision connected to a set-top box), and may include one or moreoutput device controllers 307, such as a video processor. There may alsobe one or more user input devices 308, such as a remote control,keyboard, mouse, touch screen, microphone, etc. The gateway 202 may alsoinclude one or more network input/output circuits 309, such as a networkcard to communicate with an external network 310. The network interfacemay be a wired interface, wireless interface, or a combination of thetwo. In some embodiments, the interface 309 may include a modem (e.g., acable modem), and network 310 may include a television distributionsystem, such as a coaxial, fiber, or hybrid fiber/coaxial distributionsystem (e.g., a DOCSIS network).

The gateway 202 may include a variety of communication ports orinterfaces to communicate with the various home devices. The ports mayinclude, for example, Ethernet ports 311, wireless interfaces 312,analog ports 313, and any other port used to communicate with devices inthe home. The gateway 202 may also include one or more expansion ports314. The expansion ports 314 may allow the user to insert an expansionmodule to expand the capabilities of the gateway 202. As an example, theexpansion port may be a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, and can acceptvarious USB expansion devices. The expansion devices may include memory,general purpose and dedicated processors, radios, software and/or I/Omodules that add processing capabilities to the gateway 202. Theexpansions can add any desired type of functionality, several of whichare discussed further below.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example authentication process flow that can occurwhen an expansion module is inserted into the gateway. The module may beinserted into a recessed opening in the gateway, which may include acover or lid to enclose the expansion ports. After the module isinserted 401, the gateway 202 may perform local authorization 402 todetermine if the newly-inserted extension module is able to work withthe gateway 202, and may copy a basic installation program from themodule (for installing an application or service offered by the module).This authorization may include an initial exchange of informationidentifying the module (e.g., a unique hardware address, such as aMAC—Media Access Control—address) and/or the user (e.g., a useridentification value stored in the module, a phone number, PersonalIdentification Number—PIN, etc.). This exchange of information mayautomatically occur as a result of insertion (e.g., the extension modulecircuitry may be configured to automatically transmit this informationupon initial insertion/power up). Alternatively, some or all of thisinformation may be requested by the gateway 202, for example, through anonscreen display or an administrative user interface (e.g., anadministrative Internet browser page).

The authorization process may also include transmission of securitycredentials, such as exchanging signed digital certificates forverification using predetermined public keys. The gateway 202 mayauthenticate a signed certificate from the extension module to confirmits identity.

If the authorization is successful, the extension module may request (orgenerate) a message 403 to one or more application servers that servicethe extension features of the module. The message 403 may identify themodule, the gateway 202, and one or more software applications desiredby the module (or the versions of existing software stored on themodule). The software may be any desired type of software, such as ahome security application, Bluetooth service application, etc. Thesoftware may also be firmware for basic operation of the module.

In response, the server may transmit an authentication request orchallenge 404, seeking to confirm the extension module's authenticationfor the service. This may involve another transmission 405 of variousauthentication credentials, such as signed certificates, challengeresponses, etc. from the module. The server may also consult a storeddatabase identifying services to which the particular gateway isentitled to receive, and may determine whether the addition of theexpansion module is supported by that service level, to decide whetherthe expansion module should be authorized.

If the application server authorization is successful, the applicationserver may transmit an authorization message 406 to the module. Theapplication server may also store information identifying the fact thatthe module and/or the user has been inserted into the gateway 202, andmay identify the particular software (if any) requested. The module maythen transmit a request 407 for the one or more desired applications (tothe extent the request was not already included in the initial message403). When sending the request 407, the module may transfer softwarethat is about to be updated/replaced into a separate memory location, toserve as a failsafe backup in case the ensuing update is interrupted.Alternatively, new software code can be temporarily stored in a bufferportion of memory, and transferred to the main memory (replacing the oldversion) only after determining that the update download was successful.

In response, the server may download 408 the application program to themodule. The downloaded code may be encrypted for protection. The modulemay then begin execution of the new (or updated) application program409, providing whatever services to the user the module is intended toprovide.

When the new application is running, its operation (and the operation ofthe module) may be monitored 410 by the gateway 202 for errorconditions. The application and module may also be monitored remotely411 by the application server. This monitoring may be performed in anydesired manner, such as through use of code downloaded with theinstallation 408, an Internet admin page on the gateway or over theInternet, via SNMP (Simple Network Message Protocol), HNAP (Home NetworkAdministration Protocol), TR069 (or CPE WAN Management Protocol—CWMP),etc. Some of the monitoring may include the gateway 202 recordingperformance characteristics of the module (e.g., how often it ran, howquickly it ran, etc.), the module's power consumption, time of usage,bandwidth used and/or needed, etc.

The addition of the module and new application can provide a widevariety of new features and functionalities to the home gateway 202. Forexample, the expansion module may include a digital television receiver(e.g., circuitry configured to tune and receive ATSC—Advanced TelevisionSystems Committee—signals), or an HD radio receiver. The addition ofsuch an expansion module may allow the gateway 202 to tune to andreceive that content, which the gateway may then process and distributeto other devices in the home—even devices that lack their own digitaltelevision or HD radio tuner.

Expansion modules may also have their firmware updated throughdownloads, much in the same way software applications are loaded, andcan even do so at the application layer, rather than having to write adriver at a firmware layer. Updating the expansion module firmware canallow systems to avoid having to update the gateway firmware itself,simplifying the process of keeping up-to-date. FIG. 5 illustrates anexample signaling flow for such a firmware upgrade. In step 501, theuser may insert an expansion module containing code for an applicationthat may require a firmware upgrade. In step 502, the gateway mayautodiscover the module, and the module can run an auto installerprogram based on the host/device configuration of the module. The autoinstaller may be a smaller piece of code that can confirm firmwareversion and hardware capabilities of the gateway and/or module.

In step 503, the module may then run a firmware installer program tocommunicate with the application server, and request the updates forfirmware needed by the module. The request may identify the module, theexisting version of the firmware in the module (or on the gateway), andthe gateway's hardware configuration and/or capabilities. The server maythen respond 504 by transmitting, encrypted if desired, the firmwareupgrade, application data, configuration data and any other desireddata. This approach allows the application server to maintain anauthorized service domain. The server may maintain a record of thedevices that are authorized to receive service, and can remotelyinitiate and monitor firmware upgrades within the domain. The expansionmodule may be added to an authorized service domain of its correspondinggateway, and can be provisioned to receive authorized content form theserver. In this manner, the gateway (via its processor) and/or expansionmodule may be managed by an external server (e.g., the content server,application server from FIG. 5, etc.). In some embodiments, the externalserver can lock down the functionality of the gateway, such that thegateway may always need approval of the server before addingfunctionality, and that the external server may have management controlover all local devices communicating with the gateway 202. In thismanner, the control over the gateway may be cloud-based. Through suchexternal management, the external managing server may transmit commandsto the gateway's processor, causing the processor to perform the variousfunctions described herein, and to manage local devices (e.g., expansionmodules, phones, radios, etc.) to permit or deny the features describedherein.

In step 505, the expansion module may install the firmware update toitself, storing updated firmware received via the gateway. In doing so,the gateway may also copy a fail safe image of the module's firmware (orvice versa), for use in case the module's version gets corrupted in theupdate process. In step 506, the expansion module may inform the serverthat the update was a success, and in step 507 the gateway and modulecan then run the new firmware to provide whatever functionality isoffered by the module. Steps 508 and 509 are monitoring steps, similarto that described in steps 410 and 411 above, by which the gatewayand/or application server can monitor the operation of the expansionmodule.

As noted above, the expansion module can add a wide variety of featuresto the gateway. One example type of functionality adds networkconnectivity to the gateway 202. For example, if the gateway 202 doesnot already include a Bluetooth connection interface, then a BluetoothUSB expansion module may be inserted into the gateway 202 to add thatfunctionality. The Bluetooth USB expansion module may be inserted intoone of the gateway 202's USB ports 314, and the gateway 202 may then useit to communicate with Bluetooth network devices in the home.

In the description above, step 503 resulted in a “pull” updatingprocess, in which the expansion module requested an update. The updatecan alternatively be a “push” process, triggered by the externalapplication server.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example home, with a Bluetooth expansion module601 inserted in the gateway 202. The expansion module 601 may includeinternal antennas and processing circuitry to communicate via Bluetoothwireless link 402 with one or more Bluetooth devices. The expansionmodule may be used to add Bluetooth support to the gateway 202, allowingthe gateway 202 to communicate with devices that may have beenpreviously inaccessible due to communication protocol incompatibility.This connectivity can be used to allow a variety of features, such asadding IP connectivity via Bluetooth to devices, or allowing use ofBluetooth peripherals such as headsets.

One such device may be a Bluetooth enabled cellular telephone 603. Thephone 603 may include communication circuitry for communicating with amobile cellular telephone network 404 and land-line PSTN (PublicSwitched Telephone Network) 405, and may also include Bluetoothcircuitry and components to communicate with gateway 202 over aBluetooth link 602 and the expansion module 601. The gateway 202 can usethe phone 603 to supplement other voice calling capabilities, such as alocal cordless digital DECT telephone 606. This example uses a DECTphone 606, but other short-range cordless phone protocols may be used aswell. For example, the phone 606 may be a CAT-iq based phone, an IEEE802.11 Wi-Fi phone, or any other desired type of VoIP phone. The phone606 need not be a cordless one, so even wired digital phones can be usedas well.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example call process using phones 603 and 606. Inthis example, an incoming phone call may be redirected from the phone603 to phone 606 using gateway 202. For starters in step 701, the phones603 and 606 may first conduct a local registration process registerthemselves with the gateway 202. The local registration mayautomatically occur upon the device entering the home, and may involvethe phones 603/606 informing the gateway 202 of the phones' respectiveidentities (e.g., hardware MAC address, user identification, phonenumber, account number, etc.), so that the gateway 202 can storeinformation identifying the various phones 603 that are available to thegateway 202. This registration may also inform the gateway 202 (or avoice session management application running on the gateway 202) of thevarious capabilities and states of the phones as well to assist in callmanagement (e.g., hardware/software features of the phones, firmwareversion, status of battery, whether it is currently in an active call,whether call forwarding is activated, etc.). Some or all of thisregistration information may be delivered from the gateway 202, to theheadend 103, and ultimately to one or more call routing servers on thePSTN 604 or mobile network 605, so that those servers know where toroute incoming calls that are addressed to the phones 603/606 (or theirrespective users, phone numbers, addresses, etc.).

As part of this registration, a user may provide call handlinginstructions to the gateway 202. For example, the user may indicate tothe gateway 202 that incoming calls received at the cell phone 603 areto be redirected to the DECT phone 606. This may be desirable if, forexample, the DECT phone had larger speakers than the cell phone 603. Therelay instruction may be provided to the phone 603 for use in futureincoming calls.

In step 702, a caller on the external network 604/605 may initiate acall addressed to the cell phone 603. A call routing server on themobile network 605 may route the call to the nearest cell towerservicing the phone 603, and initiate a connection with the phone 603.

In step 703, the phone 603 may forward call details to the gateway 202via the module 601. The call details may identify the source of thecall, the destination of the call, the user of the phone 603, the phone603 itself, the type of network originating the call, and any otherdesired call detail.

In step 704, the gateway 202 may determine that the user of the phone603 had previously requested that incoming cell phone calls be routed tothe DECT phone 606. It may do this, for example, by consulting a callrouting table stored in memory, which may identify call handlinginstructions entered by various users and/or phones in the home.

In step 706, the call may be established with the DECT phone 603. Indoing so, the gateway 202 and cell phone 603 may serve as middlemen fora communication session between the DECT phone 606 and the cellularnetwork 604 (and ultimately the original caller). Separate communicationlinks may be established in the home for this call—one between the DECTphone 606 and the gateway 202, and another between the gateway 202 (orits module 601) and the cell phone 603. In this manner, the cell phone603 may still actively process the call signals for the duration of thecall, serving as a Bluetooth-to-cell-phone interface.

As an alternative, the cell phone 603 can hand off the callresponsibilities to the gateway 202. To do so, the gateway 202 could, instep 706, establish an independent communication link to the mobilenetwork 605, via headend 103 and/or the PSTN 604, requesting that thecall be transferred from the cell phone 603 to the headend 103 (andultimately to the gateway 202). The gateway 202 can establish acommunication session with the corresponding server at the mobilenetwork 605 using the transmission line connection, and the call can becarried out from the mobile network 605 to the headend 103 to thegateway 202 and to the DECT phone 606. In this manner, the cell phone603 can be used for initial reception of the call, but once the call istransferred to the gateway 202, the cell phone 603 can be turned off andthe remainder of the call can be handled using the cable lineconnection. This kind of call handoff can even be performed before theincoming call is received. For example, in the registration 702, theuser may also send a call forwarding instruction to a call router in themobile network 605, instructing that network 605 to forward incomingcalls to a different phone number/address associated with a server atthe headend 103. Then, when an incoming call is made, the mobile network605 can forward the call to the headend 103, which may then establishthe call with the gateway 202 and DECT phone 606, thereby avoiding theneed for the cell phone 603.

The FIG. 7 example uses an example of routing a call to the DECT phone606, but the internal call routing can be made to any desired deviceaccessible to the gateway 202. For example, incoming calls can be routedto a voice-enabled personal computer 203, television set-top box 208,etc. To support this functionality, the gateway 202 and/or other enddevices may include voice and call handling applications, and mayinclude an EMTA (Embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapter), EDVA (EmbeddedDigital Voice Adapter), Terminal Adapter for VoIP over broadband, and/orPC soft phone software and/or hardware. Different portions of the callmay be routed to different devices as well. For example, an initialcaller identification message for an incoming call may routed to theset-top box 208 for display on television 209. The subsequent call, ifanswered, may be routed to a different voice-enabled device, such as theDECT phone 606.

The FIG. 7 example uses an example of rerouting an incoming cell phone603 call to a DECT phone 606, but calls can be rerouted the other wayaround as well. For example, an incoming call directed to the DECT phone606 may be rerouted to the cell phone 603 instead, using the Bluetoothmodule 601 to create a voice channel between the gateway 202 and thecell phone 603.

The availability of multiple external network connections (one via theheadend 103 and gateway 202, the other via the cell phone 603) allowsfor backup in the event of failure. For example, if the DECT phone 606normally uses the gateway 202 and headend 103 for a VoIP phone call, butthe server in the headend 103 becomes unavailable, then the outgoingcall may be rerouted to the cell phone 603 and the mobile network 605instead. Similarly, if the cell phone 603 attempts to make a callthrough the mobile network 605, and encounters a failure in that network605, then the gateway 202 may initiate the call through the headend 103instead.

The discussion above focuses on call routing using the various networkconnections available to the gateway. Other aspects of call handling maybenefit as well. For example, caller identification information mayinitially be included with an incoming phone call message. The gateway202 could simply display this caller identification information onwhatever device is ultimately receiving the call, or on any otherdesired device in the system (e.g., a caller ID for a call coming in ona mobile phone service may appear on a television, even if the user'sphone and television companies are two different companies).Alternatively, the gateway 202 may use a different network connection toretrieve or augment this information. So, for example, if an incomingcell phone call message includes the calling party's telephone number,the gateway 202 may take that information and automatically generate asearch through other resources that are not originating and notreceiving the call, such as an Internet database accessible throughnetwork 310 (e.g., a social networking database, such as a Plaxodatabase), a home database stored on a laptop 206, the address book ofanother Bluetooth phone in the home, etc.

The initial notification of an incoming call may also be delivered tomultiple devices in the home. For example, an incoming caller'sidentification information may be sent from the gateway to laptop 206via an 802.11 connection, to multiple Bluetooth phones in the home viaBluetooth link 602, to a set-top box 208 for display on a television209, etc.

The gateway 202 would also allow devices to share resources with otherdevices in the home, even if the devices are normally incompatible. Forexample, many cellular phones include text messaging and SMS (ShortMessage Service) options that allow cell phone users to send short textmessages to one another. These messages are often inputted to a phoneusing the cell phone's numeric keypad, with a T9 input mechanic that canrequire up to three button presses to enter each textual character.

The process may simply involve the user indicating, from either thephone 603 or the laptop 206, that the user wishes to send a cell phone603 text message using another device in the home. For example, the usermay enter a command into the phone 603, and the phone 603 may send acommand to the gateway 202 indicating the desired function. The gateway202, which may already have stored profile information identifying thevarious home devices and their capabilities, may respond with a listingof all devices in the home having a text keyboard. The user can chooseone from the list, and the gateway 202 can initiate a connection withthe selected device to request entry of a text message. The user canthen type in the message at the device (e.g., the laptop 206), and thetext message may be transmitted to the gateway 202, and out to the cellphone 603 for transmission as a text message to the mobile network 605.

Alternatively, the user can indicate, from the laptop 206, that he/shewishes to send a text message using the cell phone 603. The laptop 206may request that the user type in the desired message, and then send therequest with the message to the gateway 202. The gateway 202 maytransmit a message to the cell phone 603, requesting that the cell phone603 send the text message, and the phone 603 may process it and transmitit to the mobile network 605, as if it were typed in on the phone 603'skeypad. As another alternative, the laptop 206 may use its existingBluetooth connection (if it has one) to directly send the text messagerequest to the phone 603, bypassing the gateway 202.

FIG. 8 illustrates another example configuration of the home andexpansion module. In FIG. 8, expansion module 800 may includetransmission and/or reception circuitry to support other types ofwireless communications. For example, the module can include an HDtelevision receiver (ATSC), and can be tuned to receive HD televisioncontent and supply it to the gateway 202, which may then stream thecontent to other devices in the home that might not have an HDTVreceiver (using whatever physical layer access capability they have,such as 802.11, MoCA, etc.). Similarly, the module can be used by thegateway 202 to transmit HDTV signals for content that may originallyarrive through other means, such as a satellite feed, cable televisionprogram, Internet program, etc., thereby allowing a television with anHD receiver to receive content in those other formats (for which the HDtelevision might not have a compatible receiver). Other types of radiocontent can include cellular phone network content, satellite televisioncontent, HD radio content, etc.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example signaling flow for using such a radioexpansion module to tune to content that is then supplied to the gateway202. Initially, in step 901, the radio module 800 may be inserted intothe gateway 202, and initial communications between the two canestablish communication between them, and the gateway 202's control overthe radio module 800's tuning resources. These resources may be used tosupply a radio client (e.g., any processing device capable of receivingcontent for a user) with radio content for user consumption.

When a radio client enters the range of the gateway 202, the client mayestablish communications with the gateway 202 via the radio module 800,and authenticate itself to the gateway in step 902. This authenticationmay involve the radio client transmitting information identifying itself(e.g., a MAC address, subscriber identification, etc.) to the gateway202, as well as additional information about the client, such as itsaudio characteristics and capabilities (e.g., number and type ofspeakers, available coding/decoding software and hardware, storagecapacity, etc.). The actual communications may be made in any desiredmanner. For example, the audio device may use a wi-fi connection tocommunicate with the gateway 202. Alternatively, the device may use awired connection (e.g., Ethernet) if it is a wired type of device.

The gateway 202 can then determine if the radio client is compatiblewith and permitted to be used with the gateway 202, and if the gateway202 has available capacity to support the audio device. This capacitymay be, for example, the number of tuners in the radio module 800. Theradio module 800 may have a limited number of tuners, so if too manydifferent channels are requested at the same time, the radio module 800might not be able to service them all. Assuming the capacity is there,and that the audio device is otherwise acceptable and supportable, thegateway 202 can inform the device in step 903 that the authenticationhas passed.

Once the radio client is able to use the radio resources, the client mayissue a request for a particular audio channel or service in step 904.The request may be transmitted to the gateway 202, which may theninstruct the radio module 800 in step 905 to tune to the desiredfrequency carrying the desired channel. The radio module may tune to thedesired frequency, and may prepare a data stream containing therequested channel, and forward that data stream to the gateway 202 instep 906. The gateway 202 may then forward that stream to the radioclient in step 907, at which point the user can begin to listen to therequested channel. That stream may also be forwarded by the gateway 202to other devices, such as other devices in the home (e.g., using aBluetooth expansion module, a MoCA transmission, an 802.11 interface,etc.), or other devices outside the home (e.g., forwarding to a remoteIP address, or allowing a user to remotely access tuned content receivedat his/her home).

The radio broadcaster may have just a single service/channel on a givenfrequency, in which case the module 800 itself may be configured todecode the received frequency and generate the resulting single streamfor the requesting radio client. In that example, the gateway 202 maysimply receive the stream from the radio module 800, and forward thatstream (with little or no additional processing) on to the requestingradio client. In some alternative embodiments, a frequency might havemultiple digital streams multiplexed together for transmission on thatsingle frequency. In such embodiments, the module 800 can supply theentire multiplexed data stream to the gateway 202, allowing the gateway202 to process and isolate the particular service/channel requested bythe radio client. This may allow multiple devices to share a singleradio tuner in module 800, although it places a greater processingburden on the gateway 202, which would be demultiplexing the streams tosupply the requested ones to the requesting devices.

In the example embodiment above, the radio module 800 includes radiofrequency tuning resources, and may generate a digital data stream forone or more requested services or channels. The gateway 202 may thendeliver that stream to any radio client or device in the home, usingwhatever physical access technology the clients have available (e.g.,802.11, MoCA, Bluetooth, etc.). In an alternative example, the radiomodule 800 may simply be used to decode a data stream that is obtainedthrough other means. For example, the module 800 may include decodingcapability used to decode a protected content stream. In such analternative example, the request for a channel 904 may be passed overthe Internet to content server in step 908. The request may identify,for example, the requested channel or service, as well as the requestingradio client, the gateway 202, and/or the characteristics of the desiredstream (e.g., coding type, number of channels, etc.), and in step 909the content server may determine whether the request should be granted.

If the request is granted, then the content server may open acommunication session and begin to download the requested stream to thegateway 202 in step 910. Then, in step 911, the gateway 202 may pass thestream to the radio module 800 for decoding (if desired), and thegateway 202 may then distribute the decoded stream to the requestingradio client for consumption. This stream may be accomplished using anydesired streaming protocol. For example, DAAP (Digital Audio AccessProtocol), Bonjour/ZeroConf, RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol), RTSP(Real-time Streaming Protocol) and/or RTCP (Real-time Transport ControlProtocol) can be used to stream IP content. Alternatively, any mediastreaming protocol may be used (e.g., DLNA—Digital Living NetworkAlliance, Bonjour, etc.).

The actual content being delivered and streamed may be in any desiredformat. Uncompressed audio formats (e.g., Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF, AU,etc.), native PCM (Pulse-Code Modulation) encoding, Lossless or LossyWMA (Windows Media Audio), MP3, Vorbis, Musepack, ATRAC, AAC (AdvancedAudio Coding), and/or MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)formats may all be used as desired.

So, for example, the radio expansion module 800 can provide HD radiocontent to other devices in the home. A USB based HD radio module wouldbe connected to the gateway device 202, and the tuner in the radio wouldtune to multiple radio channels or would use the gateway backhaulconnection for tuning to Internet radio channels. This radio would beable to tune to multiple channels simultaneously to support multipleclients requesting different programs/channels. The HD radio clientswould connect to the gateway over an IP connection and could use any ofthe physical layer technologies such as an Ethernet, wireless or a MoCAconnection. These clients would request for a specific channel or aprogram over a defined protocol interface with the gateway. The gatewaywould control the USB HD radio to tune to the specific channel(s) andmulticast the content to the clients. In this way, the control andsignaling path is through the gateway device and the media would berendered directly from the HD radio to the clients. Thus, there would beno need to have separate HD radio tuners with each and every end device.

As noted above, the gateway could control the USB radio expansionmodule, and by proxy, any device communicating with the gateway couldissue a command that would be relayed to the module to control it.Alternatively, the expansion module itself could be directly controlledby another remote control. The radio remote could communicate with themodule over Ethernet, WiFi, MoCA, Zigbee, etc. The expansion modulecould contain its own circuitry to provide a separate interface for sucha remote control (e.g., a separate Zigboo circuit to communicate with anexpansion module remote control). As a further example, the remotecontrol circuitry and separate interface could actually be a separateexpansion module itself, “stacked” onto the radio module.

The above example uses the radio module 800 as a receiver or decoder. Inalternative embodiments, the radio module 800 can be used as atransmitter. For example, any content available at the gateway 202 maybe provided to a radio client, using the radio module 800's transmissioncapability to make the transmission. So, for example, if a client deviceonly has an FM radio tuner, but wishes to listen to an HD radiobroadcast, the gateway can support this with an FM radio transmissionmodule. To do so, the user could instruct the gateway to tune to the HDradio broadcast using other means (e.g., either an HD radio module, orby downloading an Internet stream of an HD radio station), and thenbroadcast it locally using an FM radio expansion module.

Other use scenarios exist as well. For example, the gateway could beaugmented to add digital video recorder (DVR) capabilities, allowingreceived content to be redirected anywhere via the gateway (e.g., localreceiver, onto the Internet over IP, etc.). Coordination at the DVRallows multi-room functionality, such as watching at one location andresuming at another. Electronic Program Guide (EPG) functionalities canbe added by expansion module as well.

The flow in FIG. 9 uses a single radio client as an example, but inimplementation, the gateway 202 and radio expansion 800 may supportmultiple clients. For example, multiple audio devices can issue separaterequests to the gateway 202, and the gateway 202 may use the radiomodule's resources to tune to some or all of the requested channels, andmay also request Internet streams for some or all of the requestedchannels. When multiple clients request the same stream, the gateway 202may generate a multicast stream to broadcast the requested stream to thedevices in the home.

The radio module 800 may include sufficient processing and storagecapability to manage the various radio clients in the home. In such anembodiment, the radio module itself would be responsible for tuningand/or demultiplexing received radio streams, maintaining records ofuser/client preferences, maintain a record of the channels that arereceived and available for streaming, create streams for individualclients in response to their requests, etc. If desired, the gateway 202could simply be used as a transmission medium for the radio module 800.

In the discussion above, the radio module 800 is used to receive andtune to radio content, and provide that content to the gateway 202, andthe gateway 202 is used to communicate with the radio clients. Inalternate embodiments, the radio module 800 may also be used tocommunicate with the radio clients directly. For example, the radiomodule 800 can include wireless transmitters (e.g., IEEE 802.11,Bluetooth, AM/FM, Zigbee, Zwave, etc.), and can be configured to usethem to transmit the streams to the radio clients over a wirelessconnection. In such embodiments, the radio module 800 can communicatedirectly with the clients to establish connections and process requestsas discussed above, and the gateway 202 may simply be used as a powersource, and as an Internet connection when a desired stream is availableon an Internet radio server.

The discussion above uses an example in which the client requests theradio channel to be streamed. That is an example of a “pull”configuration. In alternative embodiments, content can be “pushed” tothe clients by the gateway 202 and/or the radio module 800. For example,once radio clients establish successful communications with either ofthose devices, those devices may then determine that a particular radiostream should be automatically offered to the client, without the clienthaving requested it. The gateway 202 or radio module 800 may transmit anunsolicited offer or inquiry to the radio client, seeking to deliver thestream being pushed.

In some embodiments, multiple clients within the home may request accessto the same content having an audio portion. Since the different clientsmay each have different amounts of processing time for receiving andplaying the content, it is possible that an echo may result (e.g., ifone client plays its content 150 ms after the other client, then the twoclients may appear to create an echo). To accommodate this difference,each client may include a buffer to synchronize audio content by addingdelay to the faster client when two clients request the same contenthaving audio portions. Doing so may involve checking to see if twoclients have requested the same content, determining if the content hasaudio portions, determining if the clients are each playing that contentout loud (e.g., not using headphones, or at a volume that is loud enoughfor one client to hear the other), and if so, then measuring the timelag between the two and buffering the faster client to synchronize itwith the slower client.

In some embodiments, the radio client can be located outside the home,at a location that is remote from the gateway 202. In such embodiments,communications between the client and the gateway 202 and/or the radiomodule 800 can be conducted over a longer range network, such as theInternet. This would allow, for example, a user to take his/her laptopon a business trip, and remotely receive radio content received by theradio module 800 at the user's home.

User preferences (e.g., favorite stations, favorite programs, volumesettings, etc.) may be maintained by the gateway 202 and/or the radiomodule 800, and may be used to customize the radio content beingrequested by, or delivered to, the radio clients. The preferences may bestored corresponding to the user and/or device identifiers provided, forexample, in the authentication 902 step discussed above. The preferencescan be used by the gateway 202 and/or the module 800 to modify thesignaling discussed above, such as changing the streamed content or therequest transmitted.

The user preferences may alternatively be stored at an applicationserver on the Internet, outside of the home. In this manner, the usercould have his/her customized experience even when roaming, for example,to a neighbor's home. In such an example, the authentication 902 mayinclude a further check upstream with the application server toauthenticate the user and to obtain the preferences for use by theneighbor's gateway 202 or radio module 800, to be used when servicingthe roaming radio client's requests.

In the above examples, the gateway 202 can serve as a policy enforcer.For example, the gateway 202 could cause re-authentication after apredetermined time period (e.g., 1 minute, 5 minutes, etc.) ofinactivity, automatic periodic re-authentication, re-authentication foreach application use or service, etc.

The expansion modules can be used to add a wide variety of applicationsto the gateway 202 and its home. Some examples include adding videoprocessing capacity, such as MPEG transcoding. Other examples mayinvolve monitoring and/or controlling home security systems,heating/cooling systems, energy management and conservation, and anyother desired added functionality. These various modules may havevarying electrical power requirements, and the gateway 202 may beconfigured to automatically supply additional power to modules that needit. For example, a non-powered USB expansion port may be automaticallyconverted to a powered USB expansion port by the gateway 202 addingpower to the appropriate pins of the USB interface.

To help manage the modules, user profiles can be used to govern whichmodules can be used. For example, the gateway 202 may store profileinformation for each user of the household. The profile information mayidentify permission levels (e.g., a child might not have permission tochange a thermostat setting), preferences (e.g., a phone applicationmight store a caller's list of contacts), identification information(e.g., to identify users who purchase downloadable content), securitycredentials for accessing devices and applications (e.g., a user'spublic key, or trusted certificate), and any other desired personalprofile information. Alternatively, the profiles may be stored at anexternal server (e.g., a “cloud-based profile”), and accessed by thegateway as needed.

Since the modules are readily inserted, removed and interchangeable,security may become an issue. The gateway 202 may take steps to monitorthe modules, scanning them for security weaknesses. If a module is foundto have a security weakness or issue (e.g., if the device has an invalidcertificate, or if it is running a virus code), the gateway 202 canterminate communications with the module, or restrict the module'sability to communicate with other devices on the home or externalnetwork. The gateway 202 can also transmit a request to an applicationserver, requesting a fix for the security situation (e.g., downloading anew software patch to remove viral code).

The ready interchangeability of the modules, and the ability to add moreand more modules, also runs the risk of overloading the resources of thegateway 202. For example, if the gateway 202 has a limited amount of RAMto support running applications, then the gateway 202 may need to limitthe number of applications that will be permitted to run. In someembodiments, the gateway 202 may prioritize applications. Someapplications (e.g., telephone, home security, thermostat) may be givenhigher priority than others (e.g., video transcoding, video games,etc.).

One resource that can be overloaded is electrical power. If the home'spower goes out, then the gateway 202 may include a limited amount ofbattery life, and in such situations the gateway 202 may limit theapplications to just the higher priority applications. For example, atelephone application or home security application might take higherpriority in the event of a home power failure.

The expansion modules herein may be USB expansion modules. In someembodiments, the gateway 202 may be configured to act as a relay betweentwo connected USB expansion modules, allowing one USB module to act as acontroller or master to the other. Two USB modules may also directlycommunicate with one another (e.g., via USB 3.0). For example, aBluetooth expansion module may be stacked on an HD radio module, and theHD radio module can provide a digital datastream of HD radio content(received via the HD radio module's own tuning circuitry) directly to aBluetooth module via the USB interface, and the Bluetooth module maysend that stream out over a Bluetooth connection to a user'sBluetooth-enabled cell phone, thereby allowing the user's cell phone tolisten to HD radio content without requiring its own HD radio receiver.

In the discussion above, various external servers (e.g., located outsidethe user's home, at a local headend, etc.) are described as having, insome embodiments, control over the determination of whether a newexpansion module is actually to be supported at the gateway. FIG. 10illustrates a logical example of how different levels of control in sucha managed system can be implemented. In the FIG. 10 example, the lowestlevel is the physical connectivity or hardware layer control. This levelmay involve the physical connection with an expansion module, such asthe USB port, the connector, and physically establishing communicationwith the module in the first place. That physical layer of control maybe completely within the realm of the gateway, and may be limited toestablishing basic communication with the expansion module.

The second layer of control may be the intelligent application layer forrudimentary access. In that layer, the gateway may conduct basiccommunications with the expansion module, and may permit the module tohave rudimentary access to features/modules/functions/information on thegateway. For example, the gateway may be permitted to allow the moduleto identify the hardware components in the gateway, or learn detailsabout the network to which the gateway is connected. The gateway may berestricted, however, from automatically granting permission to themodule to freely use its network connection, or to offer the expansionmodule's full range of expansion services. Additionally, gatewayapplications may use IP addresses for communications between devicesconnected to the gateway 202, and may rely on the hardware/firmwarelayer to use those handles for communication. Doing so allowsmodification of an application without requiring updating the firmware.In some embodiments, a home gateway management application (HGMA) may besoftware residing on the gateway 202 to manage the update ofapplications.

The third level of control may be the network-based service controllayer. At that level, the external server may be in control ofdetermining whether a particular expansion module is permitted to workwith a particular gateway to offer the full range of expansion modulefunctionality. The external server may track the activation of modules,monitor their usage, and if trouble arises, take corrective action todeactivate, modify, or reboot modules and their respective gateways. Inthis manner, the external server may manage the gateway devices, andstill allow those devices some flexibility to expand theirfunctionality.

As another modification, a user's electronic program guide (EPG) maylist content that is available from a wide variety of sources. Forexample, an EPG offered by a STB may list HD radio content received froman HD module, HDTV content from an HDTV module, content from a laptop206 hard drive, content available via cell phone 603 and Bluetooth,content available from an external content server, etc. all together forthe viewer's perusal and selection.

The various examples and embodiments described above are merelyexamples. The various steps and components may be combined, subdivided,rearranged and/or omitted as desired. This patent should not be limitedby those examples, but rather, should be defined by the followingclaims.

We claim:
 1. A computing device, comprising: a physical connector; afirst local network interface; a processor, configured to controlcommunications to allow local devices communicatively coupled with thefirst local network interface to communicate with an external device viathe physical connector; and a plurality of network communicationexpansion ports configured to accept respective network communicationexpansion modules, wherein the processor is further configured to use anew network interface of a first expansion module to communicate withother devices instead of, or in addition to, using the first localnetwork interface to communicate with the other devices, furthercomprising a high-definition (HD) radio receiver expansion module and awireless radio expansion module communicatively coupled to at least oneof the network communication expansion ports, wherein the wireless radioexpansion module comprises a local wireless network transmitter, andwherein the processor is further configured to receive HD radio signalsvia the HD radio receiver expansion module, and to cause the localwireless network transmitter of the wireless radio expansion module towirelessly stream the HD radio signals to a local device.
 2. Thecomputing device of claim 1, wherein the physical connector is a coaxialcable interface.
 3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein thephysical connector is a fiber optic interface.
 4. The computing deviceof claim 1, wherein the plurality of network communication expansionports are color-coded according to communication capability.
 5. Thecomputing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of networkcommunication expansion ports are color-coded according to whether thecorresponding port has a battery backup or alternative power supply,different from a primary power supply of the computing device.
 6. Thecomputing device of claim 1, further comprising the first expansionmodule, inserted in a first one of the plurality of expansion ports,wherein the new network interface of the first expansion module is awireless radio interface.
 7. The computing device of claim 6, whereinthe first expansion module comprises a universal serial bus (USB)connector connected to a corresponding USB connector of the first one ofthe plurality of expansion ports.
 8. The computing device of claim 6,wherein the first expansion module is configured to communicate withBluetooth telephones.
 9. The computing device of claim 6, wherein thefirst expansion module is configured to communicate with wirelesstelephones, and to relay telephone calls with the wireless telephonesvia the physical connector.
 10. The computing device of claim 9, whereinthe first expansion module is configured to automatically detect andregister wireless telephones upon entry to a premises of the computingdevice.
 11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the processor isconfigured to detect an incoming telephone call that comprises calleridentification information, and route caller identification informationto a device via the first local network interface, and to route audioportions of the call to the first expansion module.
 12. The computingdevice of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to automaticallyexchange authorization and identification information with an expansionmodule upon insertion of the expansion module into one of the pluralityof network communication expansion ports.
 13. The computing device ofclaim 1, wherein the processor is configured to automatically copy aprogram from an expansion module upon insertion of the expansion moduleinto one of the plurality of network communication expansion ports, andto execute the program.
 14. The computing device of claim 1, wherein theprocessor is further configured to use the new network interface of thefirst expansion module to communicate with other devices that are localto a premises of the computing device.
 15. The computing device of claim1, wherein the processor is further configured to use the new networkinterface of the first expansion module to communicate with otherdevices that are remote from a premises of the computing device.
 16. Thecomputing device of claim 15, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to allow one or more local devices to use the new networkinterface to communicate with devices remote from the premises.
 17. Amethod, comprising: conducting, by a computing device, communicationsbetween the computing device and a plurality of devices local to thecomputing device over a local communication network; detecting insertionof a first wireless radio expansion module and a second wireless radioexpansion module; and controlling the first wireless radio expansionmodule to receive wireless radio signals over an interface of the firstwireless radio expansion module, and stream content from the wirelessradio signals to one or more of the plurality of devices over the localcommunication network, wherein the first wireless radio expansion moduleis a high-definition (HD) radio receiver, and the second wireless radioexpansion module comprises a local wireless network transmitter, andwherein the method further comprises receiving, by the computing device,HD radio signals via the first wireless radio expansion module, andcausing the local wireless network transmitter of the second wirelessradio expansion module to wirelessly stream the HD radio signals to oneof the plurality of devices.
 18. The method of claim 17, furthercomprising detecting insertion of a second wireless radio expansionmodule stacked onto the first wireless radio expansion module, whereinthe second wireless radio expansion module comprises a part of the localcommunication network, and wherein the streaming content from thewireless radio signals to one or more of the plurality of devices overthe local communication network further comprises streaming contentreceived from the first wireless radio expansion module over a wirelessconnection of the second wireless radio expansion module.
 19. The methodof claim 17, wherein the streamed content is cellular telephone networkcontent.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the streamed content issatellite television content.
 21. The method of claim 17, wherein thefirst and second wireless radio expansion modules are separate expansionmodules.
 22. A method, comprising: controlling, by a computing device,communications to allow local devices communicatively coupled with afirst local network interface of the computing device to communicatewith an external device via a physical connector; using a new networkinterface of a first expansion module, communicatively coupled to one ofa plurality of network communication expansion ports of the computingdevice, to communicate with other devices instead of, or in addition to,using the first local network interface; using a high-definition (HD)radio receiver expansion module and a wireless radio expansion modulecomprising a local wireless network transmitter communicatively coupledto at least one of the network communication expansion ports; receivingHD radio signals via the HD radio receiver expansion module; and causingthe local wireless network transmitter of the wireless radio expansionmodule to wirelessly stream the HD radio signals to one of the localdevices.
 23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the computingdevice processing cellular telephone network content via a cellulartelephone expansion module communicatively coupled to one of the networkcommunication expansion ports.
 24. The method of claim 22, furthercomprising the computing device processing satellite television contentvia a satellite television expansion module communicatively coupled toone of the network communication expansion ports.